Software development drives a high price, ranging anywhere from a few thousand dollars to hundreds of thousands, depending on your requirements. As a result, it’s imperative that you get the best possible service to ensure that your money is well spent. But to do this, you’ll need to hire a trustworthy and reputable software development company.
This article explores how you can verify a software development company’s credibility before investing in their services. Keep reading to learn more.
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Why Is Verifying Credibility Important?
Verifying credibility helps to give you confidence that the software development company is competent and able to build software that meets your requirements. If you cannot confirm a company’s credibility, you are essentially entering into a partnership with them blind, meaning you cannot know what to expect. Additionally, if there’s no way of verifying credibility on their website, it usually signals inexperience.
How to Verify Software Development Company Credibility?
So, what can you do to verify a software company’s credibility? Well, there are a few areas to look into and factors to consider.
Review Client Testimonials
Reviewing client testimonials is one of the best ways to get an insight into company quality, especially when using customer trust websites like Clutch.io that verify reviews. Client testimonials can help provide a balanced view of the company’s services so you can better manage your expectations. For example, some software companies may have high positive and negative reviews, while others could be entirely positive but have fewer overall reviews.
Some software development agencies may also have a lack of reviews or none at all. This does not necessarily mean that they are not credible; it could simply t indicate that they are a newer company. As a result, you will have to evaluate other aspects of their company to build a clearer picture of their credibility.
Evaluate Technical Expertise
Depending on your project requirements, you’ll need to ensure that the software company is technically equipped to handle your needs. You can discover the company’s technical expertise by reviewing its website for information regarding its tech stack. For example, on the Idea Maker website, we have an entire dropdown menu in the navigation bar dedicated to showcasing the technology we use.
If the software development agency does not list its technical expertise on its website, this is another indicator of inexperience. However, it’s worth contacting them and asking them about their technical capabilities. After all, every company has to start somewhere!
Verify Certifications
Certifications are accredited qualifications given by technical institutions and framework founders, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). If a company claims to be certified in a particular technology on its website, you should contact them and ask them to produce their certification documents, whether this is in the form of a PDF or a digital badge link.
If you’re really skeptical, you might even seek to verify the validity of the awarding body. An AWS certification, for instance, is easily verifiable, as Amazon is a large and trusted organization. Many online schools, on the other hand, have little credibility or academic integrity.
Examine Project Portfolio
Because most reputable development agencies will have a project portfolio listed on their website, examining its contents will give you an insight into the quality of their projects and their relevance to your own. For example, if you explore one of their previous developments and discover that it no longer functions correctly, this could be a sign that they don’t offer quality post-release support options.
Additionally, if their company portfolio shows that they’ve never worked on projects similar to your own, then they might not be the best choice due to inexperience in your field. It’s best to talk with the developer about their past projects to get a better understanding of their experience.
Review Blog Content
Reviewing a development agency’s blog content is another excellent way to verify credibility, which can easily be determined by the quality of content and its technical level. For example, if you find a company offering little technical or even inaccurate advice, it’s probably wise to avoid their services.
However, not all software development agencies have blogs. While this is not always a sign of a lack of credentials, it does mean you’ll need to utilize other methods to verify their credibility.
Communicate With Company
The final way we recommend verifying credibility is by communicating with the company. If a company is reluctant to answer your questions or speak with you in person or over the phone, it is a massive red flag. Avoiding communication is typically a glaring sign of fraudulent behavior or a severe lack of customer service skills.
Alternatively, if someone from the development agency is happy to talk with you, you’ve likely found a trustworthy company. However, you’ll still want to ask them about their development process, certifications, and previous projects to ensure they are, in fact, credible.
Idea Maker: Development You Can Trust
At Idea Maker, we’re a software development company that stands up to scrutiny. We have a team of expert software developers ready to bring your project to life. So, schedule a free call with us to start your software development journey today.